Car-coupling



(No Model.)

A. J. GLENN.

GAB. GOUPLING. No.. 589,714. Patented Sept. 7,1897.

emmmm ummm' f un im, EL? "I life. l l "nMlll le UNITED STATES PATENT@erica AMAR-lill J. GLEXN, OF SPRUCE, PENNSYLV'XNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECFICATGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,714, dated September7, 189'?. Application iiled February 27, 1897. Serial No. 625,354. (Nomodel.)

.To @ZZ whom, t riz-ay concern:

Be it known that I, AMARIAH J. GLENN, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates,residin g at Spruce, in the county of Indiana and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which thefollowing is a specication.

The invention relates to-ixnproveinents in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to iniprove the construction ofcar-couplers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efticient onecapable of coupling automatically and adapted to be readily uncoupledfrom the tops and sides of cars without going between them.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling adaptedto couple readily on curves and capable of automatically uncouplingshould acarbecoine derailed eroverturned, whereby one car is preventedfrom dragging others down an embankment after it.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination ofparts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andpointed outin the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view ot acarcoupling' constructed in accordance with this invention and shownapplied to a car. Fig. 2 is a front eleva-tion of the saine, the endplate of the draw-head being removed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionalview. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of thelink-holder. Fig. 5 is adetail sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the slidingjaws.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

l designates a draw-head provided with a removable end plate 2 andhaving a pair of spring-actuated jaws 3 mounted in it and adapted toengagea coupling-link 4. The removable en d plate 2, which is secured tothe draw-head by suitable fastening devices, is provided with an openingand is beveled around the saine to form a flaring month for thedraw-head- The springactuated jaws i), which are disposed vertically,are arranged to slide horizontally in a plane transversely of the drawhead, and they are supported at their upper and lower edges bytransverse rods 5. The

transverse rods 5 are disposed horizontally and the upper and loweredges ot' the jaws are recessed at their inner faces to receive therods, the jaws being interposed between them and the front plate of thedraw-head. The inner edges of the jaws are beveled to forni a daringopening between the jaws, and the beveled edges, which extend to withinashort distance of the top and bottom of the jaws, are adapted, when twocars come together for coupling, to be engaged by the link 4f and spreadsufliciently to permit the shoulders 6 t0 pass between t-hein and engagetheir rear or inner faces, whereby the operation of coupling isautomatically effected.

The springs 7, which actuate the jaws for holding them closed andnormally in engagement with the link, are disposed on rods 8 andinterposed between the outer edges of the jaws and the sides of thedraw-head, which is provided with openings through which the outerportions of the rods S project.

The link i has its ends iiattened slightly or reduced in thickness andenlarged, and each end is tapering and substantially arrowshaped, beingprovided at its opposite faces with tapering enlargements or bossesforming the shoulders G. The space or portion 9 between' the shoulders(i and the central portion ot the link is of sufficient length to permitthe necessary play of the draw-heads in order'that the cars of a trainmay be successively started.

Should a car overturn, the link will twist or turn in the draw-head andautomatically spread the jaws and disengage itself there from to effectthe operation ot' uucoupling and thereby prevent one car from dragginganother after it over an embanlmient or the like. y

The outer ends of the horizontal rods S, which are connected with thejaws, are provided with heads which are engaged by de pending arms of apair ot substantially L; shaped or bell-crank levers 10. The levers l0,which are uleruined at their angles on the upper longitudinal edges ofthe drawhead, have their lower ends biturcated and straddling the rodsS, and the upper arms of the levers l0 extend inward transversely of thedraw-head at a slight inclination ,as clearly illustrated in Fig. of theaccompanying `drawin The upper ends of the bell-crank levers areprovided with slots ll, which overlap and receive the outer end of alongitudinal lever l2, whereby the latter is connected with both of thetransverselydisposed bellcrank levers.

The longitudinal lever 2, which is fulcrumed between its ends on thedraw-head, has its inner end arranged in an opening of avertically-reciprocating slide 115, and the latter is mounted insuitable ways of a car lli and is operated by a transverse lever l5. Thelongitudinal lever has its inner portion loosely arranged in the openingof the slide, and this connection permits the necessarylongitudinalmovement or play of the draw-head.

The operating-lever is arranged in vertical keepers 17, being providedat its ends with suitable handles and at its lower edge with notches 1S,which engage the lower ends of the vertical keepers 17. rlhe centralportion of the operating-lever is provided with a longitudinal slot lf),which receives a stud or projection 2O of the vertical reciprocatingslide, and when either end of the operatinglever is lifted its other endis fulcrumed on the adjacent keeper and the slide is moved upward tooperate the spring-actuated jaws through the longitudinal and transversele vers.

l/Vhen the link is engaged by the springactuated jaws, it is supportedby a link holder 21, mounted iu the draw-head at the inner side of thejaws and provided with a substantially U-sliaped bend Q2, that archesover the link and receives the upper edge thereof.

Any suitable means may be employed for mounting the draw-head on a car,and any suitable operating mechanism can be used for effecting theoperation of uncoupling from the tops of cars or the platform of acoach.

It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable inoperation, capable of coupling on curves, and adapted to coupleautomatically. It will also be apparant that the operation of uncoupling may be readily effected from the tops and sides of cars and that thedevice will automatically uneonple should a ear overturn.

That l claim isl. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head,oppositely disposed sp ring aetuated jaws mounted within the drawfhead,an arrow-headed link, and a transversely-dis posed link-holder mountedwithin the drawhead in rear of the jaws and provided above the link witha substantially U shaped bend` substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination with a ear, and a draw-head, ofspring-actuated jaws mounted within the draw-head, a longitudinal leverfulcrumed on the draw-head and connected at its outer end with thespring actuated jaws,a vertioally-reciprocating slide mounted insuitable ways of the car, having an opening to receive loosely the innerportion ot' the longitudinal lever and provided with a stud orprojection, vertical keepers mounted on the car, and an operating-leverarranged in said keepers, provided at its center with a slot to receivethe projection or stud, and having notches for engaging the bottoms ofthe keepers, substantially as described.

S. In a car-coupling, the combination with a car, and a draw-head, ofspring-actuated jaws mounted within the draw-head, avertically-reciprocating slide mounted in suitable ways of the car andhaving an opening, a longitudinal lever fulcrnmed on the draw-head andconnected at its outerend with said jaws, the inner end of the leverbeing loosely arranged in the opening of the slide and capable oflongitudinal movement independent of the latter, and means forreciprocating the slide, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AMARIAl-l J. GLENN.

Witnesses:

J. H. Steenas, H. Il. SIMMs.

Lil

